2. Giveaways
Everyone loves free stuff, even if we know deep down that “free” products still come with some sort of cost.
This is what makes giveaways so effective: Just find an artist or company willing to give away a relevant product or experience, and then partner with them to offer it to your readers.
It’s easier said than done, but it can be a great way to make money through sponsorships, attract new readers to your blog, and build relationships with members of the local music scene.
Here are some ideas for giveaways:
- Free music
- Concert tickets
- Merch
- Backstage or VIP concert passes
- Gear or instruments
Of course, in most cases there are certain conditions that your readers must meet in order to be eligible for the giveaway.
This could involve sharing a post on social media, joining your email list, or leaving a comment on your blog.
Whatever the condition is, make sure that it furthers your blog and/or business goals in some way.
To see an example of a classic giveaway post, let’s look at a recent contest from LA Music Blog offering the chance to win tickets to see Django Django:
The post begins with an overview of who the band in question is, as well as what you can win. In this case, it’s concert tickets, and the author wastes no time getting to what you need to do to win them:
Whenever you run a contest or giveaway, you must be specific about two things:
- What readers need to do to enter and win
- What winners receive (and what’s not included)
This post does both.
First, there are the three conditions for entering, all of which work to boost the site’s social media presence.
Second, there’s a clear statement of what winners receive: concert tickets only (no travel or accommodation).
If you don’t include information like this, you could risk some upset readers who misunderstood your contest.
It’s best to err on the side of over-explaining in cases like these.